


All Fun and Games Till Somebody Falls in Love

by Aqua_Naiad



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aqua_Naiad/pseuds/Aqua_Naiad
Summary: This is all for reputation, Karma firmly thought to herself. It wasn't like she was new to the concept of fake dating (not that she'd ever had to) but what she hadn't expected was drowning in all these feelings along the way. Lying to your own heart often had consequences, and Karma was about to know.
Relationships: Akabane Karma & Shiota Nagisa, Akabane Karma/Shiota Nagisa, Shiota Nagisa & Yukimura Akari
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38
Collections: Assassination Classroom Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhh, I'd like to thank livixbobbiex for hosting the big bang and starcameron (@webssandwich, check out their insta btw :D) for drawing the most amazing art for my fic.

Amidst the babble of the busy, bustling crowd it was almost impossible to make anything out. Or maybe it was just her nerves crackling so loud she couldn't hear a word. Whatever it was, Karma hadn't planned for her day to start off like this.

" _What_. No way," she denied immediately and her agent flinched at the cold rejection.

Just opposite to her sat Shiota with all the vigor of a weeping willow, head low and eyes practically glued to the Thermos she held. If not for the occasional sips of the warm drink (Karma knew it was warm because of the wisps of steam that followed) and the flickering bashful glances, Karma would've mistaken her for a lifeless doll.

No matter how _doll-like_ she looked, Karma really wasn't interested on dating her. Not like this. Not when she was being cornered by all odds into accepting the one alternative she had to salvage her reputation. Karma'd like to find _love_ at her own pace. People did say love was found in the most mysterious of places. Though Karma wasn't sure of her own ability to find love in someone she really used to hate.

It was a thing of the past, and she still cringed remembering how she'd treated Shiota. Karma really hoped that this fake dating could at the very least lead to some sort of recovery in their very rocky… acquaintanceship. The media always did portray her as the epitome of mercy itself. If not, then it was Shiota's loss.

"Akabane san," her agent hissed, her words only audible to Karma, "please cooperate with me. Your reputation is at stake."

It was astonishing enough as it was, with Shiota being the only woman willing to date her. All the others were simply not interested or just plain terrified at the thought of jeopardizing their own status. Karma really didn't blame them, but she was more surprised by Shiota's agreement than cross at other women's choices.

There was no catch, except for the fact that she was only a tad bit more famous than Shiota was. Maybe she was in for the popularity boost it would give if it worked. Though it was a highly risky publicity stunt, and Karma knew that Shiota surely couldn't be _that_ dumb. Or could she?

"Alright." She agreed begrudgingly, letting them know of her discontentment with an overly loud exhale, and Shiota's agent finally set himself to motion.

"I'm glad you came to an agreement, Akabane san. Am I free to assume that you don't have second thoughts, Nagisa san?" He spoke to her like he'd known her more than a client and the motionless Shiota came to life with a quick nod.

Her eyes were finally on something other than the table or the Thermos, and they were staring directly at Karma now. "Yeah, I'm sure." She smiled slightly- a smile too practiced to be genuine- with an edge, "Let's work together, Akabane san."

"Wonderful. We have an agreement then." Shiota's agent clapped his hands together and her own seemed pleased. "We'll keep this up until the scandal dwindles."

Karma barely wanted to be reminded of ' _the_ _scandal'_. News had been circulating about that one moment Karma kissed the director's assistant for fun (that too on the cheek!), and how that one kiss apparently stripped Karma off the rightful label of a lesbian. The journalists- those _greedy_ carrion feeders- jumped in the second they caught the news with all sorts of speculation. Karma had never hated the media so much.

Did those people really think that a kiss on the cheek could make her less of what she was? If Karma had her way, she'd be parading around the paparazzi in a rainbow themed outfit. Too bad she had a reputation to maintain as an actress.

At least she'd finally be able to keep her career going now.

*

This definitely was not worth it. 

Beyond the window of the little café they were in, Karma could see the weightless shower of snow, slow and filled with lassitude in every single sprinkle. The scene would've been appreciated more if it had been her alone in the café, but this time, she'd brought an acquaintance along to one of her favorite places and she didn't know what to say or what to do.

Thankfully, they'd dealt with the formality already and an awkward interaction had been saved, but this one surely couldn't be. 

Shiota was as quiet as she was, but it was a different kind of quiet since she didn't seem uncomfortable at all with the silence. It almost felt like she was studying Karma right from the inside, and Karma felt the need to raise all her walls to keep her prying eyes from seeing things that she shouldn't.

"So…" She finally broke, and Shiota quirked a look up at her. "I'll get straight to the point, what do you want?"

"We're talking business already?" She commented dryly.

Karma rose a brow, "You didn't answer my question."

Putting the cup down, she exhaled and looked up to meet Karma's eyes, "What if I said I don't have any ulterior motives?"

"Bullshit." Karma shot down with a scoff, "Are you sure this isn't for popularity?"

For the first time in their conversation, Shiota appeared peeved off by Karma's words and a flash of indignation lit her face up, "Why, I have many different ways I can increase popularity. Do you really think I'm _that_ stupid?"

"Not really," she kept herself as neutral as she could and barely heard her mutter under her breath.

"Look," she sighed, swirling her cup. "I don't want to start a rumor with someone I can barely communicate with. Let's work as a team, alright? I'll start by introducing myself. I'm Shiota Nagisa. I would prefer being called by my first name."

She shot a questioning look but chose not to prod, "So, _Nagisa san_ , you can return the favor by calling me by my first name as well. Akabane Karma. Pleasure doing business with you."

Nagisa nodded her approval, "we would have to, one way or the other."

They took a commemorative photo in the spirit of the start of their partnership. All it took was a few taps to get the photo into a social media platform. Karma felt like she had just lit a firework and ran away, not even waiting to see how it burst.

It was the Internet after all. She was sure, one way or the other, it would become a big thing overnight. 

*

# Mainichi Weekly Digest

## THE 'KISS SCANDAL' FINALLY DEBUNKED

Fri 20 January 2020

The start of this month has been nothing short of surprises as seen through the blatant chain of mind boggling scandals and news. The very notorious 'kiss scandal' of the known actress Akabane Karma has all of us fans shaking our heads in conflict. Was Akabane really a fraud or was the scandal fake after all?

##### twitterimage.png

As evident by the picture she posted on twitter, it seems that the actress has been meeting up with Shiota Nagisa, the leading actress of the recent hit film 'The Blood drenched Cave- Gyokusendo', and surprisingly enough the two seemed to be good friends by the photo alone. The caption sends a whole another meaning- On a date with my sugar 💞 - and it has sent the fans crazy with all kinds of theory.

Some suggest that this might be the start of a new spicy relationship with another actress while some suggest it a publicity stunt as shown by… _Read more._

*

  
  
  


"Why are we here again?" Nagisa asked with a sigh.

Karma, ever so bright, tugged at her hand as she said, "to find you new clothes!"

Karma had no earthly idea how Nagisa had been living her whole life in high necks and sweaters, and she wasn't particularly impressed by the amount of sweatpants she had. Nagisa was supposed to be an actress, wasn't she?! Where was the celebrity glamour? 

Right after the train had stopped, Karma had had no qualm at dragging the girl all the way to the shopping district in Ginza. Even if Nagisa didn't have the clothes to match up to her public image, Karma didn't want her to come in a less than fashionable outfit in the publicity event. Especially as her girlfriend.

Marching straight inside one of the taller buildings in the district, she let go of Nagisa's wrist and asked, "so… what kind of clothes do you like anyway?"

"Well-"

Karma narrowed her eyes, "beside comfort clothes."

A beat of silence passed, and Karma stared at the silent woman incredulously, "are you kidding me?"

Nagisa at least had enough decency to look somewhat embarrassed, " _What?_ My fashion stylist usually chooses clothes for me-"

"Your fashion stylist can go to hell, you need a sense of fashion," Karma decided.

Never had Karma thought that choosing clothes would be so hard, but Nagisa was something else. She scrunched her face up in disgust at the glaring contrast of color between Shiota's _bright_ blue hair and the bold _red_ blouse. This… was going to take a long time.

White would definitely go well with blue, but that was too mainstream. She needed something else. Maybe the fanciness of Gucci wasn't meant for Nagisa. Oh, well, it wasn't like there were many choices for them in here anyway.

"Thank you for coming here!" It was kind of awkward to exit the store without buying anything, but something told her that it was all she was going to do for a few shops more. Maybe she could find herself a few things in the process, she mused.

"Aren't we buying anything?" Nagisa questioned, exiting another store again empty handed.

Karma shrugged, "Your hair makes it hard for me to choose a color coordinated outfit."

"Right…"

It was a wonder that they hadn't been found by the imploring paparazzi, but Karma chalked that up to the amount of people flocking about like restless birds. For all the push and pull, they were at least serving as great camouflage.

It was nice to be away from... _everything_. 

Karma had entered every _good_ store she knew but those didn't quite catch the vibe Nagisa had around her. Whoever was her fashion stylist, they had her condolences. She promptly halted in her tracks and checked her phone before sighing, "we'll check in on this one one last time. It's late already and we haven't gotten anything for _you."_

Suffice to say, Karma had gotten tired of exiting the stores without anything and bought something for herself. Well… something being the more than a few bags that she was carrying but that could be easily overlooked. They were originally here for Nagisa anyway.

Honestly, she scowled, she couldn't have Nagisa come with her as a plus one in the movie premiere without _good_ clothes. They needed to make an impression while starting out and that was exactly why Karma was so determined. Otherwise she could care less about what Nagisa wore anyway.

(And okay maybe it was also because she found Nagisa _a little_ attractive-)

"Uniqlo, huh," Karma muttered while the sales girl cheerfully greeted her inside.

What did she know, maybe the aesthetic of the store really did fit Nagisa. It was simple but classy enough and Karma felt like she really had found a treasure trove. Shoving the bags at a very befuddled Nagisa, she strode out and returned back with an outfit she was sure would suit Nagisa.

"Try it."

"I- but-"

Karma all but pushed her inside the changing room, ignoring how wide eyed the whole store had gotten, and dropped the bags on the marble floor. She had forgotten how it felt like to shop for such a long time. The gradual ache that slowly crept up in her shoulders and her feet said as much.

The whole day she'd just been dragging Nagisa around so it wasn't like there was much 'bonding' time that the publicity agents probably had hoped for. Though, Karma had found out today that Nagisa didn't like sweet things very much. They were almost complete opposites. How were they supposed to make this work out again?

"Uh… Karma san," Nagisa poked her head out of the drape and a nervous smile grew on her face, "I think I might need your help."

"Don't tell me you don't know how to _wear clothes_ now-"

"It's not that!" Nagisa practically yelled before pouting, "I can't reach behind my back."

Oh, the zipper, Karma realized as she waved a hand, "okay, okay."

She entered the changing room and was immediately confronted with the sight of Nagisa's (almost) bare back. Karma took a double take before remembering why she was there and she worked on tying the strings. The dress was a pale salmon pink in color and it somehow looked good on Nagisa.

Karma never thought she'd say this, but she felt like she finally found a store for Nagisa.

"It… doesn't look bad," Nagisa checked herself in the mirror.

Karma… couldn't disagree with her. Pink suited her in a way Karma never could've imagined, and this was the _first_ one. She turned her around and hummed happily in approval. "We're taking this one then," she said.

"Great-"

"Where are _you_ running off to?" Karma tugged at her.

Nagisa looked puzzled, "We found a dress for me? Isn't this enough?"

Oh boy… Karma face palmed, she didn't know which rock Nagisa had been living under but she knew for sure now that she wanted to drag her out of that. Who finishes shopping with _one_ dress? Karma had finally found somewhere that fit the aesthetic, and just like that?

"What makes you _think_ that one is enough?" Karma shot back, and Nagisa immediately blanched. "You're trying another one, just sit tight."

Then, the hours went by in a flurry, with Karma passing out her judgment and Nagisa wearing the clothes, looking absolutely exasperated and muttering something close to 'I feel like I'm with Kayano right now,' and Karma didn't know what to make of that. 

On another note, Karma hadn't realized before but Nagisa was somewhat _big_ on the top and that made her the perfect mannequin for every single clothing item that Karma never could try out. At least Karma could safely deduce that Nagisa did not like shopping for clothes.

Whatever they had behind them, maybe they could sweep the issue under a rug seeing as Nagisa didn't appear very bothered by it. Maybe Karma could just count it as one of her minor screw ups and go on with the flow to get herself out of the pit she had fallen into.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the movie premiere.

"She dragged you around to shop for clothes?" Kayano rose a brow, "that sounds awfully out of character for her."

Nagisa sighed, "I know you wouldn't believe me, but she's different in person."

"Huh."

This was a weekly ritual- at least on the days they  _ could _ manage- for them to spend their time with each other . Kayano was like hundred times more popular than Nagisa, so she'd often feel guilty about monopolizing her time. But she'd often reassured her that it was nice to be away from the media attention for a while, and that Nagisa could understand.

There was that one time Nagisa had gotten to play in the same film as Kayano had, as a secondary role, but Nagisa felt like that was enough. She would've never guessed that would be the start of this friendship. Whenever she looked around her in the world of cinematography and acting, everyone seemed to be worlds away in terms of skill. Sometimes she really wondered how she even made it this far.

"No way!" Kayano's voice tore her from her thoughts, as she laughed wildly for once, " _ Sugar,  _ honestly?"

Nagisa pinked when she realized what she was talking about. "It's not like it was real," she defended, "she was probably trying to be the cheesiest she could be."

Kayano snorted, "right," but then the mischievous look faded and she looked at her in mild concern, "are you sure you're going to be alright with this?"

That… was a difficult question. Probably, Nagisa guessed, but she wasn't very sure herself. It was kind of embarrassing to think back on the times when she'd practically fawned over Karma in front of Kayano. But maybe she was over that brief crush. Especially after their first meet.

"I guess," Nagisa shrugged, "I mean it's kind of like playing a role in a film."

Kayano looked like she wanted to add something to it but then her phone rang, loud and obnoxious, and Nagisa knew who it was just by the ringtone. It was a ringtone that was saved specifically for a particular person. Well, Haruna Mase was a busy person.

"Aw.. come on," she whined, putting her phone down after answering the call, "I wanted to talk more."

Nagisa smiled sympathetically, "another shooting session?"

"Yes," she let out a pained sound. "I love acting and all but this is ridiculous."

"Well, good luck with your movie," Nagisa said because that was all she could say, "I'm sure it'll turn out great!"

"Next week, I want to hear  _ everything. _ " She emphasized as she waved at her, "you better be ready to get interrogated!"

If it was anyone else, Nagisa would probably just laugh and shrug it off, but coming from Kayano- someone Nagisa could say that she  _ knew _ \- that was practically a death threat and it looked like she wasn't going to be off the hook anytime soon. It wasn't like Karma was dangerous or anything.

And anyways, crushes lasted only for so long until the object of admiration was untouchable and put up on a high pedestal. Being close to Karma and spending time with her would get her out of that spiral of fascination, and maybe they could forget their pasts and be friends. How bad could it get?

*

The day of the movie premiere was here already and Nagisa was buzzing with this nervous energy. Even in the pale chiffon yellow dress that Karma had chosen for her, Nagisa was still somewhat self conscious about making their debut as a couple. A  _ fake  _ couple, she felt it was necessary to add.

Kayano had sent her a text saying 'good luck!' even through her jam packed schedule and that did little to ease her heart. She had tried calming herself down by reciting the lines she was meant to say in front of the public. Nagisa had done a literal show in front of thousands of people before, why was her heart beating so fast for an event like this?

Maybe it was because Karma's image depended upon how she'll act today. Or maybe it was just because it was  _ Karma. _

"Nagisa, I'm glad you could make it today," Karma smiled.

Nagisa smiled back, "Of course, today's the day of your movie première. How could I miss it?" 

There'd be more focus on Karma today because of the whole scandal and because it was the première of  _ her  _ movie so they had to be very cautious. The event went on normally, speeches were given and all those sorts of niceties. Needless to say, Nagisa could feel people making speculations about their relationship and the tell tale sounds falling noisily behind her.

Once the formality was over, Karma stepped down from the stage, looking as fresh as ever for someone who had been speaking for so long. Nagisa was amazed, but she played along, approaching her and the  _ instant _ they were together, they were suddenly swarmed by multiple journalists.

"Akabane san, Shiota san! Could you please answer some of my questions?"

"Please tell us about the scandal-"

"The relationship was so  _ abrupt _ \- is their any particular reason why--"

The crowd was wild but they tried their best to answer, turning at the other to confirm the lie and add a more solid story to make it sound believable. Nagisa was starting to get a little anxious at the mic that kept moving in front of her.

"Well, we met through mutual friends and I guess we just clicked right in," Karma answered one of them.

Nagisa added, albeit maintaining a shy demeanor as she replied, "I  _ always _ wanted to meet her, but I didn't expect things to go so fast."

"Well, people  _ are _ speculating that this relationship came up as too spontaneous just after the scandal." Oh, Nagisa knew what they were implying, and for once Karma looked like she was in a loss of words.

Nagisa did what she could, and this was probably the boldest thing she'd done around Karma, but in the face of all the questioning people some part of her didn't care at all. Her hand easily tugged at Karma who bent down clearly surprised and she pressed a kiss on her cheek which immediately followed the wild flashes of the camera and the increasing buzz of the crowd.

At the moment, Nagisa could only really focus on how Karma genuinely looked flustered. 

"What about the stint with assistant director Terasaka Ryoma? Was it just a misunderstanding from our part or did you really have feelings for him?" The other one pressed on, and Karma regained her bearings.

"Hmm, I'm sure I wouldn't be here if I had feelings for him. And I'm very into women, so I don't think a little kiss on the cheek can make me fall in love with him." 

Slowly but surely, the people were getting convinced that it had all been a mishap and nothing else. There were people who seemed to share whispers among themselves, but Nagisa had no doubt that, sooner or later, Karma's reputation would revert back to its original state.

Thankfully, Karma didn't ask about the improvised kiss and Nagisa didn't bring it up. It was better off that way.

*

Of all the days, Nagisa would've expected Kayano to be free at least on the weekends, but really, she wasn't a star actress for nothing. She was an actress, first and foremost. Although, wanting to see your best friend once a week wasn't pushing it, was it? 

With nothing to do by herself, Nagisa shifted from one room to another, trying to keep herself occupied with  _ anything.  _ There were times, she considered going out but with the recent events, she had no doubt that the paparazzi would inveigle her into an interview or two. She wasn't feeling too adventurous anyway.

Which somehow led to this situation.

"You don't have that movie? How boring," Karma commented, going through the stack of DVDs she had.

Nagisa squirmed in her seat, "Well, it wasn't very popular, and I don't watch many movies."

"Huh."

If anyone asked why Karma was in her house, sitting on her sofa with her brows furrowed at the thin stack of DVDs she had, Nagisa wouldn't have a clear answer herself. Though, it seemed that she wanted to see a movie with her. Or it could just be that Karma was bored just like her.

The moment Karma had appeared in front of her door, she had ducked inside so quickly, telling her to close the door. Nagisa had a feeling that the paparazzi had followed Karma all the way to her house, and that would make a good headline for their relationship wouldn't it?

Nagisa still didn't know if it was a good idea to overlook how Karma had treated her months ago, but bringing it up would be awkward, wouldn't it? And things were going so well anyway… Some things were better left unsaid. Maybe this was one of those things.

"Nagisa! This-" Karma all but shoved a DVD in front of her, her eyes sparkling in a way Nagisa had never seen, "You watch Sonic Ninja too?!"

"Yeah," Nagisa grinned, her concern fading into mirth, "Kayano and I binge watch it on the weekends sometimes."

"We're watching this now," Karma firmly declared.

Now that Karma mentioned Sonic Ninja, Nagisa was sure she had seen an article or two on Karma's twitter about the release of the latest season- not that she was stalking her or anything, it was  _ just  _ there- so she could safely deduce that Karma liked the franchise a lot. The cinematography was pretty nice, but Nagisa, even though she was an actress herself, was more hooked on the story than the acting.

Kayano did complain about how the acting was off in some scenes and there Karma was, pointing out every different flaw and practically  _ fangirling  _ over the nicer part of the movie. It was a different feeling compared to her experience with Kayano ranting about the movie. Nagisa was torn over watching the movie and watching Karma's reaction. Well, she could rewatch the movie anytime she wanted to…

"Wow." Karma finally blinked after the movie ended, and the credits rolled in, like a spell had finally been broken. "I'll never  _ not  _ be amazed by the last movie no matter how many times I watch it."

Nagisa grinned, even though she missed a lot of the movie. "Should we watch another movie now?"

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes and made herself comfortable on the sofa.

That was how they had an impromptu movie night. Nagisa, for the love of the god, couldn't comprehend how Karma was comfortable with the kind of clothes she was wearing but she wouldn't complain since she got to see her all wrapped in a blanket, eyes on the screen. In the middle of the movie session, they paused the movie to find something to snack on. It soon turned from a movie session to a series of fun and giggles because they began watching movies the other had featured in.

"Nagisa," Karma snorted, turning to her with a faux disappointed look, "what's with that get up?"

Nagisa really wanted to scream. "It was for the scene!"

"Uh huh," Karma grinned, "that's the most ridiculous I've ever seen you."

It was a rom-com movie so it wasn't like Karma could complain about that. But she still did, and Nagisa was about to die of embarrassment. She soon got back at her with a call out at bad acting of movies Karma had starred in. Nagisa was relieved that Karma never asked why she had DVDs of  _ all  _ the movies Karma had ever appeared in.

The binge watching soon took a turn when they reached the horror genre and despite being scared beyond their wits, they were still cackling like they were having the time of their life. Nagisa found out that it was hard to get scared at the jumpscares when she had had to repeat the actions so many times because it wasn't turning good enough. At least, Karma was gripping at her arm tight so she could say that Karma was easily getting into the movie.

When it had happened, Nagisa didn't know but Karma's hand had somehow curled their way to Nagisa's. It was a brief feeling, like an explosive setting itself off inside her and maybe it was weird, but she squeezed her hand and returned back to viewing the movie again.

When the movie ended, Nagisa began dusting her sweatpants to get rid of the crumbs while Karma continued, like the bizarre creature she was, watching as the credits rolled as if there was a secret to happiness or something hidden there. Nagisa briefly squinted up at the bright screen before giving up and leaving it to Karma.

It was all good until Karma's eyes went wide at the credit screen. "You mean to tell me this is based on a true story?" She questioned, not exactly scared but her tone was something akin to amazement. 

Nagisa shrugged, "Well, yeah, it actually happened at the end of the World War in the cave of Gyokusendo." She chirped, "we actually went to the real place to get it done."

"Huh… we should go there someday." Karma thought out loud.

"Maybe." 

Seeing the mess they had compiled on the couch, both of them looked at each other wearily. "Let's… clean tomorrow," Nagisa suggested.

"You better help me clean it." Nagisa added before standing up and stretching her body to get rid of the feeling of being inactive for too long.

"Right."

There was no use arguing over who'd sleep on the floor because both of them were  _ very  _ sleepy at this point. Nagisa briefly checked her phone and it had gotten really late too. Well, it wasn't like the bed  _ wasn't _ big enough for the two of them anyway. Nagisa plopped down and Karma followed, draping herself in the blanket she had been using on the couch. 

"Wait," Nagisa murmured, getting a look from Karma as she stumbled to her closet, "those clothes might be uncomfortable to sleep in. Take one of… these."

There were a couple of over-sized shirts Nagisa owned, some of them a little faded and worn out but those looked like the only ones that would actually fit Karma. Thankfully, drowsiness had drowned the part of Karma that was almost obsessively focused on style and fashion, and she slipped it on without any questions. 

After changing into the makeshift pajamas, Karma flopped onto the bed again, taking the blanket all for herself. Nagisa rose a brow before tugging at the blanket, "Hey, that's not fair." She complained, "it's my blanket." 

That led to a minor tug of war until Karma ultimately gave up (or rather her tiredness won out) and Nagisa didn't remember when she fell asleep.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baseball time.

"What are you smiling like that for?" Rio asked, and Karma pocketed her phone, unable to remove the grin from her face.

These were one of the few days Rio could come back to Japan for a break and needless to say, Karma had wanted to catch up with her. It was hard to define the kind of friendship they had. She wouldn't say that they were particularly  _ close,  _ but they knew enough about what was happening with their lives in a sense.

She suddenly had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she asked slyly, "Is it that partner of yours?"

That question was definitely rhetoric.

"Screw off," Karma scowled and Rio burst out laughing.

As embarrassing as it was, Rio was correct and it  _ was _ Nagisa who had been texting her. She was talking about the next 'date' they might have to go on and that thought subconsciously made her smile. They made quite the progress in the past few weeks, and the spotlight of the media had diverted somewhere else.

Beyond the media thing and all, Karma genuinely liked being with Nagisa. Nagisa… was a very interesting person. More so than Karma had ever expected. Not that she had bothered learning about someone before, but Nagisa was intriguing. She was someone Karma would put an effort to know more about

"You guys are  _ fake- _ dating, aren't you?" Rio asked slowly, "you guys must be really good at this."

That made Karma pause. Well, it was a given that they had to be good at this otherwise the media would know. But there was something about Rio's comment that felt odd. Maybe it was pride Karma was feeling because their acting was capable of fooling even Rio- a person who knew about the whole deal.

"Of course we are," Karma rolled her eyes, "we're both actresses."

Rio shrugged, "What did she say anyway?"

"Just planning about the next date."

The conversation after that flowed easily for the both of them and the topic about Nagisa melted away just like that. Who knew when they'd get to meet up like this again, with how bounded the narrow fences of their lives felt. So they talked, chattered and bantered until their time was up.

With one end came another beginning, so as Karma would like to think as she listlessly stared at her ceiling until her thoughts were all filled with Nagisa again. That happened a lot recently. She wondered what brought along the change. Whatever it was, she didn't mind it. Tomorrow was something she could look forward to, at least.

*

"Hi," Nagisa greeted as she stepped inside her home and let out an amused sigh, "you're still not done yet?"

For all the things she'd been saying to Rio, she was almost hilariously nervous about the date. Even then, it was the good kind of nervous. Just enough to keep her excited for the coming event but also enough to make her mess things up. As she would like to say, after trying and failing to tie her hair up for the umpteenth time. Karma huffed, sitting in front of the mirror, and looking at the mess her hair was. At this rate she'd rather have her hair down.

Before she could follow through her decision, Nagisa appeared behind her and took the brush from her hand all the while smiling at her meekly. "I'll do it for you," Nagisa offered and softly began combing at the hair. It felt strangely intimate- with the silence and the occasional sound of Nagisa moving. After spending a reasonable time combing, Nagisa tied her hair up in a ponytail almost exactly the way she wanted it.

"Thank you," Karma said, looking at herself in the mirror and Nagisa's eyes crinkled with a grin.

As they exited the house, Karma felt a very strong impulse to try something out. As if she could sense her growing interest, Nagisa turned to her with a questioning look that soon turned into that of shock as Karma dipped low and kissed her right on the lips. Nagisa was the first one to pull away from the brief kiss, her face as flushed as it could be and her eyes so wide and surprised that Karma started to regret following her impulse a little. 

"W-was that method acting?" Nagisa asked right after the shock started to wear down, and maybe it was a little scary but Karma, at the moment, didn't have an answer for that.

In the end, she feigned nonchalance and said, "We'll probably have to practice it if we want to convince other people."

Nagisa's face morphed from shock to gradual acceptance as she nodded jerkily, "y-yeah, you're right."

"Come on now," Karma rolled her eyes, "let's get going."

Whatever reason she came up with at that moment, Karma knew for sure that it was something she didn't quite believe in herself. The real reason why she kissed Nagisa was because- she thought back to it and thought hard to get to the exact reason why- she kissed Nagisa because… she wanted to. 

The thought scared more than she'd like to admit, and Karma panicked to herself about the series of intrusive thoughts that followed afterwards. Nagisa walked along with her, as clueless as ever, and made small talks, most of which Karma absolutely was not following. It wasn't until Nagisa turned to her with an expecting look that she noticed that she had missed out a lot on whatever Nagisa was discussing about.

"Karma.." Nagisa angled her neck to meet her eyes as she said, "you weren't listening, were you?" 

Well, she was quick to catch on. "I'm kinda distracted today, sorry," she said.

Distracted wasn't quite the word she was looking for, but she guessed it could do. Nagisa continued watching her for a good few seconds before nodding and ducking down. Before the silence could settle and make things awkward for them, Karma hurriedly asked, "So where are we going for this date?"

"Oh," Nagisa sounded, before turning to her with a slight grin, as she toyed with the rubber bands on her wrist, "one of my friends gave me two tickets to the baseball match in Tokyo Dome."

Karma blinked, "you like baseball?" 

"Not really…" Nagisa chuckled, "the friend who gave me the tickets is also playing so I wanted to be there for him."

_ Him. _ Karma's mind latched on to that word immediately. Who was this friend of hers that he was so important to her? Karma honestly had no interest in baseball, but now she was intrigued. She didn't know if this friend of hers knew about the fake dating thing but it couldn't hurt to try and act like a couple around him. It would be  _ great  _ practice anyway.

Unless Nagisa's friend was not just a friend, but that Karma could think about later.

"We're taking the subway then?" Karma questioned and Nagisa nodded.

The ride to the Tokyo Dome was nothing notable except the fact that it felt like the couple of students knew who they exactly were and were giggling to themselves. As long as they didn't try to make it a big deal, she guessed she could let that slide. If it had been an  _ actual  _ date then Karma would've never allowed them to take pictures, but this was for show. The more pictures they took, the better.

Nagisa was texting someone all the way through so it wasn't like Karma could keep herself entertained by talking with Nagisa. 

There was some part of her that didn't want Nagisa to use her phone at all, even if they wouldn't end up talking. It was an irrational desire like the one Karma had before but there was no way she was fulfilling this one. Nagisa was definitely texting the friend she talked about earlier and Karma had no clue how she should be feeling about this.

The city, Karma looked around, was at least a nice distraction. It was the part of Tokyo Karma hadn't had much chance to explore though she knew she had seen the place before. Nagisa  _ finally  _ put her phone down and smiled up at Karma as she grabbed her by the hand. "Sugino said that he got us some of the better seats so let's head inside the stadium," Karma looked at their hands briefly- a sort of warm feeling rushed through her, and she nodded absentmindedly.

Tokyo Dome was as huge, if not  _ bigger _ , than what Karma had expected. Now that they were near the playing field, Karma realized that she didn't know if they were on the side of the home team or the opposing team. Nagisa was shuffling along, fiddling with her side bag and Karma swore if it was the goddamn phone again- 

"Karma," Nagisa called, and she acted as if she hadn't been eyeing Nagisa, nonchalantly turning her head and lowering herself to Nagisa's height. "Hm-?" Before the hum could escape her properly, Nagisa swiftly put a cap on top of her head and the other one on her own. 

"We need to attract as less attention as possible," Nagisa apologetically smiled.

Karma had a feeling that the cap on top of her head was a replica of the obnoxious one Nagisa had placed on her own head. The words sewed in read 'do your best, Yoghurt Swallows!' so Karma at least had a hint where to look for the man. How come Nagisa knew a baseball player- a professional one at that- was a mystery to Karma. 

Nagisa dealt with the tickets and the seats as she led Karma to their seats with an excited nod. Well,  _ someone  _ was happy, Karma couldn't help smiling herself- the excitement more than a little contagious. The buzz of the crowd served as a background noise as the match slowly started with the players settling into their positions.

"So, who's this friend of yours?" Karma asked after declining the sellers, and Nagisa leaned forward, "we used to study in the same school when we were younger. He's not playing just yet."

Karma watched the proud smile grow on her face as she rambled on about how great he was, and then she shifted her gaze to the man Nagisa had been looking at. He looked like an average baseball player with his stocky build and decent stature. The announcer had said his name before- Sugino Tomohito.

After he was put into the field, it was almost amazing how the tide of the match had turned, and Karma found herself somewhat hooked with how all of it was playing out. Sugino was exceptionally good at pitching, Karma mused as the announcer described the throw as Sugino's signature move.

"I wonder if we'll get the home run ball." Karma thought out loud, and Nagisa scoffed, "at the rate, this game is going, I don't think we'll get  _ any  _ home run."

And Nagisa was right. The match ended with the victory of the home team and spectators cheered loudly with applauds and their voices. Nagisa stretched as she stood up after clapping along with the rest of them, and Karma followed, her body too sore after sitting for so long. "I need to talk with him for a bit," Nagisa said, her eyes trained on Sugino as he exited the field. She turned to Karma, "do you want to come along?"

Karma shrugged, "sure."

"Sugino!" Nagisa waved as she spotted him among the other players and the man- Sugino- waved back, "Hey Nagisa!"

Once he was close enough, he flicked at the baseball cap Nagisa donned, "I almost didn't recognize you because of the cap." His eyes shifted to Karma, "and who are you?"

"I'm Nagisa's girlfriend, Karma Akabane," Karma said, ignoring the panicked look Nagisa had as she grinned, "nice to meet you, Sugino kun."

With how Nagisa reacted, and the wide eyed look Sugino was giving at Nagisa, she  _ definitely  _ hadn't talked with him about the whole issue. And even then, it was more convenient to act like a couple around him than explain everything all over again. It could be good practice.

"Oh, uh… it's nice to meet you too, Akabane san." He replied after recovering from his shock.

Sugino, Karma decided, wasn't a bad person. Not at all. Though she should've expected it from someone who was  _ Nagisa's  _ friend. He was overall pleasant to speak to, and he spoke freely, expressing his surprise right after the formalities had been cleared up. 

Nagisa and Sugino spoke with each other as if they were very close friends (they probably were) and Karma was glad to see her catching up with a friend. But with every single insidious  _ look  _ they shared, Karma felt like she was slowly getting pushed out of the conversation. They spoke of anecdotes Karma didn't know, had inside jokes Karma couldn't understand, and even if she didn't want to admit it, it was making her feel left out.

Slowly she stopped talking and just stood there listening to the two friends converse with each other, until Nagisa paused in her words. Karma felt like time stopped as Nagisa began approaching her, a sort of focus in her eyes as if she had a fixed goal. Karma felt a vague sense of déjà vu as the collar of her blouse was pulled, and suddenly Nagisa  _ had _ her in a kiss. Karma saw her surprise mirror Sugino's face- Nagisa had never been  _ this  _ bold.

Unlatching from her lips for a brief moment, Nagisa whispered, "they're right behind us," and it admittedly took Karma a while to understand what Nagisa meant.

Of course it was the paparazzi. Nagisa would never attempt, or rather initiate, such thing without an incentive. The pleasant feeling in her gut soured with disappointment- for what? Karma didn't want it to be what she thought it was- and Nagisa slowly let go, cheeks colored an almost unhealthy shade of red. 

There was no doubt that Karma was in the same state as her.

"Uh…" Sugino broke the silence, panicking immediately after the sound left his mouth, "um, well I guess I'll have to leave you to it. Bye Akabane san, see you later Nagisa!"

He left with a flustered flurry of words, but Karma barely heard him over the sound of her own heart beating. It… it was the first time they ever kissed properly and Karma was terrified that the first thought her mind could muster was 'when will it happen again?'

Nagisa chuckled, an awkward sound from her throat as she commented lightly, "that was something."

"I-" She cleared her throat, trying to will her voice back again- she was acting like a  _ child _ with a crush, goddamn it- and blurted out the first thing that leapt in her mind, "you're really good at kissing."

Honestly, with the way Nagisa flushed at her compliment, Karma would've never imagined this was the same person that kissed her just a little while ago. Nagisa was such a weird person- the kind of weird that made Karma want to know deeper and more about her, explore just what depth this weirdness hid.

"You too." Nagisa finally answered, a softer smile replacing the conflicted look she donned, and Karma's heart skipped a beat. Taking a glance outside, Nagisa spoke again, "come on now, we need to go."

The whole ride back, Karma couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the stadium, her heart thumping loudly while tearing itself apart at the same time. That kiss… it was supposed to be an act then why did Karma feel so strange about acting out something she was quite familiar with? There was a single answer in her mind, but Karma refused to believe it. This… this was just her mind playing tricks on her, nothing more nothing less, she firmly said to herself as she waved Nagisa goodbye. 

Just her mind playing tricks on her, she reaffirmed.

*

"I can't believe I did that- Kayano, cut it out already-" Nagisa complained while Kayano trembled in her chair, breathless with laughter.

This was one of those rare chances when Nagisa got to act in the same movie as Kayano-  _ Haruna Mase-  _ and they were supposed to be rehearsing their lines for their scene but the moment Kayano had asked for the details it was already decided how this 'meet up' would turn out. Kayano was trying her best not to laugh too loudly and Nagisa regretted every single decision she'd made to reach this point in her life. 

The other day she was just so excited to talk to Sugino after so long and now she's here in the shooting site, the memory of the kiss repeating itself in her mind as if it were on loop,  _ haunting  _ her practically. And Kayano wouldn't stop laughing at her misery. 

Kayano took a deep breath, a chuckle or two still escaping her throat as she spoke, "okay but that was seriously hilarious."

"No it wasn't." Nagisa denied and Kayano bit her lips to stop laughing, "sure."

It wasn't like Nagisa kissed Karma purposefully! There were no romantic connotations in that kiss, not one bit. Nagisa had just did that out of panic because the paparazzi were right  _ there  _ and she didn't want  _ another  _ scandal starting just because she couldn't act romantic enough. She seriously owed Sugino an explanation some of these days. Being a professional in different fields and wanting to talk frequently didn't exactly work out. Nagisa was lucky enough as she was to have gotten to talk with Sugino that day.

The conversation after that kiss almost felt like it had died along with some part of Nagisa's soul. Why did she even do that- just holding hands would've been enough of an evidence that they were in a 'relationship'. Nagisa wanted to pin all the blame on Karma because it was her who put the dumb idea of practising kissing in her mind. That led to her mind making some sort of bizarre connection with practicing kissing and publicity stunt.

Or maybe she just wanted to kiss Karma.

Either way, Nagisa had made this huge embarrassing mistake of actually listening to the more impulsive part of her brain and never had she regretted it so much. At least Karma only seemed flustered by the kiss. Nagisa didn't know what she'd do if Karma had actually been disgusted. Or maybe she was and Nagisa didn't know.

"You got to act your life long dream out," Kayano nudged with a sly smile, "it's okay to be confused."

Nagisa just groaned.

See, that was a problem too. Nagisa had had a crush on Karma since god knows when, and one of the main reasons why she'd agreed to get involved in this fake relationship was to get over the feeling of liking Karma. It was perfectly fine for her to assume that the crush had formed from seeing a person on a higher pedestal. Those kinds of people made other people either  _ want  _ them or want to  _ be  _ them. In Nagisa's case, it was kind of a mix of both.

The bad thing was, instead of helping her get over Karma, this 'fake dating' thing was giving Nagisa more time to get to know her better and that was slowly making her fall in love in ways Nagisa had never known. She was falling in the pit she'd dug herself in, and some idle part of her never wanted to climb out of it. 

Kayano placed a hand on her shoulder, the mirth from her eyes soon leaving and her tone taking a softer, comforting turn, "You could drop this whole facade if it makes you feel uncomfortable," she suggested, "you've already done what you could for her."

Uncomfortable wasn't the word. The conflict inside Nagisa felt much bigger for any words to describe. It was a clash between a part of her that hoped and the rational part of her mind wanting to pull away before she could potentially get hurt. Though there was no harm in masking it.

"It's okay, Kayano," Nagisa ultimately chose her words, putting on the best smile she could as she said, "thank you for your concern, but I think I'll be fine."

Kayano still didn't look convinced, but she nodded. Nagisa knew how Kayano felt about Karma- after the first time they'd met and all- and she knew 'dislike' was a soft word to describe Kayano's wariness about Karma. Even though Karma had done nothing wrong to Kayano… Nagisa didn't think it was fair that Kayano chose to stay away from Karma on the basis of how Karma had treated Nagisa once.

Well, she could think about it later, Nagisa thought as she rid her mind of the things that happened a few days ago, and focused on the scene she had to act out.


	4. 4

"Karma, could you-"

"No." Karma dismissed her question before Nagisa could even finish saying it, and with a leaden finality. 

Nagisa was starting to get annoyed at how Karma wasn't even _trying_ to make it seem like they had a relationship. They were just _fine_ a few week ago, what changed that? Nagisa had almost begun to believe that there was hope, but this just came crashing right at her. Why was Karma trying so hard to distance herself from Nagisa?

"But you didn't even-" Karma shot a look at her, and Nagisa dropped the subject, " _fine_."

With a huge sigh, she left Karma to her own devices, her mind no less chaotic than a turbulent storm. They barely had _any_ time to interact with each other, being occupied with acting and all currently but the first time they did after so long and Karma shot her down- just like that? 

Maybe today was a bad day, Nagisa tried to convince herself, after all some moodiness didn't mean Karma suddenly didn't want to be near her at all. Though she said that to herself, there was no questioning the hurt she felt when Karma refused to talk. Nagisa could always try next time.

It was a slow realization but Nagisa slowly began to catch on with the fact that Karma was _actually_ actively avoiding her. What Nagisa thought was a bad day turned into a series of bad _days_ because Karma wouldn't just respond to her. It was honestly getting somewhat frustrating at this point, but really, Nagisa couldn't act it out. 

Maybe it was the kiss, her mind sent a chilling thought at her, freezing her right to the bones, what if Karma didn't _want_ to be kissed like that? Even though there was some sort of unspoken mutual agreement about acting like a couple… Nagisa stilled when she realized that they never really had talked about kissing or things like that. Except that one time Karma brought it up as 'practice' they never really discussed what was okay and what was not.

It was definitely that, Nagisa decided weakly, something in her gut feeling entirely wrong when she realized what that meant. This would be the perfect time to drop their act, after all, Karma's reputation had already been cleared of the stain. Karma wouldn't agree to talk with her at all- did that mean their relationship, however fake it might be, was coming to an end?

As much as the thought terrified her, the first thing that leapt on her mind was 'no'. Like she couldn't accept the fact that they'd have to split up. But it was what it was, the act, this entire moment, all those shared looks and smiles, was leading to this day, wasn't it? Well, Nagisa thought in defeat, it wasn't like she could _keep_ Karma or something like that. This was bound to happen. It was her fault for getting too attached.

Weirdly enough, the situation reminded Nagisa of the first time they met. 

~

_Nagisa was just starting her career as an aspiring actress (a rising name in the higher echelons of the industry, at least), recently having been scouted by a director. It was a scary turn of events- almost like being chosen as a princess for a kingdom when all she knew was a life of a peasant. But she had adapted, slowly but surely and found herself being invited to an event._

_It wasn't an average event though. She read the invite wide eyed at the incredulous list of actors that had also been invited. Oh my gosh, she thought in absolute horror. It wasn't a bad thing that she'd been invited but it felt like a dream to be near people she had looked up to for so long._

_When she reached the venue, she clung to the walls almost pathetically the whole way inside, more than a little nervous at the thought of being in the vicinity of other actors and actresses- those who had been in the industry for longer than Nagisa ever could (or so she thought in that moment). However, Nagisa couldn't stay there like a wallflower forever- not when people were slowly starting to notice her, and it was probably rude to avoid people anyway. She shook hands (her very sweaty hands, she cringed), talked and laughed with the others, just riding on the faux confidence she had built up._

_They did say 'fake it till you make it'._

_It was going marvelously well. Nagisa was honestly surprised at herself for managing to keep it up for so long. Well, at least it_ had _been going well until she saw someone she'd been meaning to meet the whole evening. Nagisa spotted the Karma Akabane staring right at her with a look in her eye that Nagisa couldn't quite decipher. It was a daunting task to meet the intensity of her eyes, but the gaze was making Nagisa a little uncomfortable and maybe flustered._

_Before Nagisa could come up with an excuse to talk to her, Karma walked right up to her._

_"You're the new recruit, huh?" She asked. The question was rhetoric and it somehow felt condescending and haughty._

_Nagisa easily dismissed the tone of her voice, giddy at the fact that she got to speak with her. Before she realized she still hasn't said anything and she spluttered, "Uhm, yeah, that's me-"_

_She leaned in scarily close and Nagisa could swear she felt her spirit leave her until she noticed how her brows were furrowed. Nagisa didn't like to brag (not at all, she was almost the exact opposite of a braggart) but she'd like to say that she was very good at reading people, and she grimaced. Had she done something to offend her so soon already?_

_Karma leaned back and now that Nagisa could see her face properly, it was scrunched up. In disgust she realized._

_"I wonder what the director saw in you."_

_Saying that she wandered off somewhere else and Nagisa was… heartbroken. Yeah, that was a good word to describe what she felt. She retreated back to her corner of pity again until she was found there by Haruna Mase which intentionally or not led to the start of a friendship._

~

Maybe Nagisa never got over her admiration for Karma even after what she'd put herself up through. That admiration was the growth of her infatuation which led to what was happening _now_. Whatever their relationship had turned into, Nagisa wanted to make sure one last time that at least the things between them from the past had been settled. 

Nagisa needed to talk with Karma.

*

It was for the best, Karma thought to herself as she rejected yet another advance from Nagisa. A single kiss had made her feel all jittery and almost like she was in love, she didn't want to fall any deeper. It always felt like she only hurt Nagisa whenever they interacted. Maybe it was inevitable. With every step they took, she knew it had been a mistake. They were flirting on borrowed time- Karma knew that.

Why did she have to go and have feelings when there was not much time for the both of them? The news had already shifted to something fresher and spicier, they could split up if they wanted to. The media surely wouldn't make a big deal seeing as they had been sighted together almost always after the announcement of them being a couple.

It was a perfect opportunity for Nagisa. Karma had been avoiding her for a few days so it would look like they'd gotten into an argument or something which caused them to split up. Karma could make something up if the media pried too much anyway. Karma trusted Nagisa enough to go along with her once that happened.

In any case, Karma had to steel herself before it came to that. And being with Nagisa while not getting to _have_ her was simply too painful. She couldn't put herself through that. Some part of her believed that Nagisa would understand, she always did. 

A few days of not talking to each other was apparently enough to catch the attention of the people who were oh so interested in their personal lives. That was exactly what she wanted in this case. It was going so smoothly that it was almost scary, but Karma wasn't going to back down from the choices she made.

Karma sent Nagisa a text explaining how they needed to use the interview they had in a couple of days to break up in public, but the only reply she'd gotten was a tick mark and Karma didn't know what to make of that. At least she agreed, Karma thought as she patiently waited for the day to arrive.

On the day of the interview, however, the interviewer had gotten sick and it had to be somewhat delayed so that left the two of them and the awkward tension in a room. After what felt like hours to Karma, Nagisa audibly sucked her breath in (the loudest noise she made so far) before turning to Karma with a steady look.

"We need to talk." Nagisa said firmly. 

Karma opened her mouth, "I-"

"Please," she pleaded, and Karma snapped her mouth shut, "just listen."

Listening. That, Karma could do, she supposed with mild reluctance. Being in the same room as Nagisa felt like a burning catharsis. Maybe it was somewhat self indulgent but Karma was relieved to be close to her after so long, but that was just the kind of feeling she didn't want to fall into. Not again. 

Nagisa fumbled through her words with all the jitters she never used to have around her (It wouldn't be a far off guess to think that Karma was still mourning her loss). The more Karma listened, the guiltier she felt with the weight of her past actions. Nagisa soon assured that she didn't hold any grudges for how Karma had behaved with her. Why was she talking about _that_ time?

"I should probably apologize for the time that I kissed you," Nagisa sheepishly said with a tiny smile on her face.

Karma flushed at the memory. That was probably about the time when Karma started realizing the feelings she had for Nagisa. Nagisa twisted the extra black rubber bands _always_ had on her wrists (Karma noticed them from the start, she wanted to know the story behind them too.), her gaze falling down to the floor as she spoke, "I know we've been pretending since we made the arrangements, but when I kissed you, my feelings were all genuine."

Oh.

Nagisa rose her head to meet Karma's, her face more than a little red as she hurried on, "I've liked you since a very long time and I wish what we had was real." She fumbled with her words again, her words taking a slight apologetic tone as she added swiftly, "I know my feelings for you are inconvenient right now! And I accept the fact that this pretense is coming to an end, but I just… wanted to let you know."

Before Karma could even say something (not that she'd be able to, with how much information she'd been exposed to) one of the people working for the magazine waved them over for the interview. Nagisa went first without sparing a glance at Karma and it took her some time to regain her composure. 

Time for a change of plan it was, then.

*

Nagisa felt breathless by the end of her confession, words tumbling out of her mouth like there was no tomorrow (maybe there _was_ no tomorrow for the two of them.). In the end, Karma only looked speechless as if she hadn't expected that at all and Nagisa's heart fell to her stomach. Of course. What was she expecting?

She couldn't bear to stay in the same room as Karma after everything she'd spilled so when one of the interviewers waved them over, Nagisa was so very relieved. So very relieved and heartbroken. But it was alright, she guessed, it was better to let her know, it was worth the shot. 

The lull of the questions and the answers was just the normal. The question about their break up hadn't been brought up yet so Nagisa could only assume that they were trying a softer approach to the topic. With every progression, Nagisa kept anticipating the blow- fidgeting and fumbling. Maybe the interviewers could tell…

At that point, her nerves had been stretched to their limits as she struggled to answer some of their questions. Karma seemed perfectly fine, except for the few moments that she too zoned out (was she thinking about the confession? Nagisa hoped not). All the questions were building up the stage to ask the one thing everyone definitely wanted to know.

"So according to what we've gathered, your relationship has been getting rockier these past few days." Nagisa nodded and angled her head down, closing her eyes. _This was it._ "Have you two talked about splitting up?"

"Y-"

"No." Karma answered and Nagisa's head snapped up, her eyes wide with confusion. _Why…?_

Karma went on, "These past few days gave me time to think about our relationship. About us. I know we have our differences and misunderstandings but I don't want to let go of her if all we need to do to save what we have is _talk._ " Smiling softly, the kind of smile Nagisa wouldn't often see on her face, she continued, "I love Nagisa. This fight we had doesn't change that so I can only hope that we'll get back together. Once she forgives me."

This… this wasn't acting? Nagisa's jaw dropped at the answer and Karma turned to her with the same soft look on her face, a little flushed but most importantly absolutely genuine. Nagisa couldn't help herself as she all but jumped from her seat to hug her. Her feelings were reciprocated, she came to the breathless realization. She was so happy she could _cry._

"So, I assume the fight has been resolved?" The interviewer asked after they had their moment and Nagisa released her hold, realizing where they were with an embarrassed laugh. It was kind of hard with the way Karma was patting at her back, as if trying to keep her there.

"You could say that," Nagisa finally answered at the same time as Karma, "yeah."

Does that mean they weren't pretending anymore? Nagisa looked at Karma who was probably thinking of the same thing before both of them broke out laughing. To the others, it most likely looked like they were happy about getting together after the fight, but to Nagisa _,_ to _them_ , it was just two people laughing at their own idiocy. 

A real relationship, Nagisa considered, wasn't a bad thing after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much, starcameron for creating this wonderful artwork. Thank you Simply (AssassinatingTearribly) and Pika for beta-ing my fic. I hope you enjoyed it!(^_^)


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